Grotesque Tangle of Steel Spaghetti?

We always knew that it would attract controversy, and now David Crawford writing in the letters section of the Scottish online Herald newspaper describes the ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower as “A grotesque tangle of steel spaghetti” !!

Tangle of steel that is Orbit tower

my first thoughts were: “What a monstrosity”

but then goes on to explain:

The structure is actually a viewing platform, some would say a vanity project, intended to be a local landmark for future generations, a twisted deformed mini Blackpool Tower.

So I guess he’s starting to fall in love with it then.

“Grotesque tangle of steel spaghetti” has a certain ring to it but it doesn’t trip off the tongue quite so easily as “monstrous carbuncle”1. Come on Scotland, you can do better than this.

Drunken Party Animal

Orbit tower a drunken party animal of a building

Back in May, Jonathan Jones in the Guardian called the Orbit a “Drunken Party Animal” but then went on to explain his new found affection for the sculpture after experiencing the viewing platform’s secrets.